My Thoughts on April Snow

Sometimes it is only in silence that we hear what our heart is telling us. Thus, with a heart ready to listen, I went out to experience the beauty that was April Snow.

On the surface the movie is simple and bereft of beautiful sceneries and heart wrenching dialogues that you may expect with adultery as a theme. You won’t even notice the long passage of time unless you are intently watching the movie and taking notes of the subtle signs.

Insu is your typical married man who seemed to be absorbed in his work. He is confident in the love and fidelity of his partner because they’ve been married for quite some time. His character is restrained and appears to be conservative in his values. While Seo Young is the dutiful wife who is content with her relationship with her husband. I can only gather that Insu and his wife has gone through the normal course of having a relationship – courtship and dating before getting married while that of So-Young was fixed by her father and may have developed feelings for her husband through the course of their married life. So how will they react when their “perfect world” collapses?

You cannot help but see the real person behind the characters portrayed BYJ and SYJ simply because no fixed script was given and they have to come up with their own interpretations of scenarios given to them. My admiration for Yong Joon only deepened because his integrity as a person was highlighted more. No wonder both actors felt so drained after shooting the film because they got too emotionally involved with their characters. They were forced to challenge their preconception on what is right and wrong.

My top five favorite scenes are as follows:
1. Seo Young looking out across the street waiting for Yong Joon to show up. Her resignation on her fate cuts through your heart. Likewise, you can also feel for Insu as he cries in his room. The full impact of what he ended up doing written in his face.
2. Insu coming back to his room after leading his father-in-law away and giving Seo Yeong an embrace.
3. Insu’s frustration in cracking the secret password of his wife’s phone.
4. His breakdown scene at the bar while drinking with a friend.
5. When Seo Young unintentionally covered the entire face of his husband with a blanket while she was cleaning up the window ledge.

Dir. Hur manages to take us through the stages that most people go through when faced with betrayal. From denial, anger, seeking answers or taking revenge to final acceptance and moving on. He gives us insights but he never lingers hence the abrupt change from one scene to another. That gives the viewers a chance to play with his/her own imagination thereby coming up with our own unique conclusion. I’m happy that he did not force his own point of view but made us take the journey with the characters and feel what they are going through.

In the movie Insu asked Seo Young what they could have been if they have met earlier or much later. The end gave us hope that there might be another chance to this star crossed lovers once they were able to heal their own wounds. Thank you Dir Hur for making April Snow worth the long wait.